"Once you learn to make shakshuka, you'll be cooking it for the rest of your life because everyone has a can of tomatoes or tomato sauce in the pantry, some vegetables and some eggs in the refrigerator," says Alon Shaya, the award-winning chef of Shaya restaurant in New Orleans.

Shakshuka is a traditional Middle Eastern dish of eggs cooked in tomato sauce. Often served in a cast iron skillet, the dish is perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner and is a delicious base for your favorite ingredients.

In this version, Shaya merges his Middle Eastern heritage with his adopted hometown by adding Cajun seasonings and Louisiana shrimp. The finishing touch is a swirl of green chili zhoug--a spicy herb and chili sauce that you'll want to use on everything after tasting it.

Ingredients

Green Chili Zhoug (Yields 1 cup or 12 servings)

1 bunch cilantro, chopped

1/2 bunch parsley, picked and chopped

6 small serrano chile peppers

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

2½ teaspoons kosher salt

1 clove garlic

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons water

1/4 cup plus 4 teaspoons distilled white vinegar

1 pinch orange zest

Louisiana Shrimp Shakshuka

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced

1 cup yellow onions, julienned

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup bell peppers, julienned

4 Jerusalem artichokes, boiled until tender

1 cup fava beans, blanched and peeled

3 cups tomato sauce, San Marzano

1 tablespoon kosher salt

6 eggs

6 large Louisiana shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced

Salt, to taste

Warm pita bread, for serving

Preparation

For the Green Chili Zhoug:

Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until it is a fine puree.

For the Louisiana Shrimp Shakshuka:

1. Heat a large cast iron skillet with 1/2 cup of olive oil over medium heat. Once the oil begins to smoke, add the cherry tomatoes and blister in the oil for 1 minute until golden brown.

2. Once the tomatoes are blistered, add the onions, garlic, bell peppers, Jerusalem artichokes and fava beans to the pan. Cook over high heat for 2 minutes until all of the vegetables are tender but not turning golden brown. Add the tomato sauce and salt. Bring to a simmer and crack the eggs into the pan in different areas and layer the shrimp in the where there are no eggs. Place a cover on the pan and cook until the egg whites have set but the yolk is still runny.

3. Remove the lid and pull the pan from the heat. Sprinkle all of the sliced green onions on top. Dollop the green chili zhoug on top (recipe below), drizzle on a little extra-virgin olive oil and serve with warm pita bread. Enjoy!